Napoli 2-0 Sassuolo: Victor Osimhen on target as Rudi Garcia’s side see off 10-man Sassuolo in Serie A

Napoli beat Sassuolo 2-0 in the first home game of their Serie A title defence, with Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo on target.

Osimhen expertly scored from the penalty spot on 16 minutes after Matteo Politano had been clumsily felled by Daniel Boloca, who was making his first appearance in Serie A.

It capped a fast start for Napoli who had also struck the post via a Giacomo Raspadori effort in the first minute, but after the opener the game – being played in 30 degree heat – grew stale.

Napoli’s task was made a lot easier in the second half when Sassuolo’s Maxime Lopez was given a straight red card for dissent. Sassuolo also gave away a soft penalty shortly after, but Raspadori missed the target.

The introduction of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia further helped Napoli’s cause and brought the killer second goal as he teed up Di Lorenzo to score at the end of a crisp move.

Napoli have two wins from two and move into second, trailing AC Milan on goal difference.

Pointless Sassuolo, also yet to score in Serie A this term and missing Domenico Berardi as he continues to be linked with a move away, are bottom.

New season, same Napoli stars. The club’s manager has changed, but Napoli’s leading lights remain the same and have started this season strongly.

Osimhen was threatening throughout and already has three goals this season, tied for the most in Serie A. Kvaratskhelia needed less than five minutes on the pitch to provide an assist. Di Lorenzo was brilliant all evening and thoroughly deserved his goal after tearing up and down the right flank.

Replicating last season’s cathartic title win will be hard and new boss Rudi Garcia has big shoes to fill. But he also has last season’s leading scorer, Osimhen, the reigning Serie A MVP, Kvaratskhelia, and Napoli’s talismanic captain, Di Lorenzo, to call on. That’s a pretty good place to start from.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli). Napoli’s best moves all came from the right and all involved Di Lorenzo in some capacity. Tireless and dangerous on the ball in equal measure, Di Lorenzo was a player Sassuolo could not contain.

Napoli: Meret 6, Di Lorenzo 9, Rrahmani 6, Jesus 6, Olivera 6, Anguissa 7, Lobotka 6, Zielinski 6, Politano 7, Raspadori 5, Osimhen 7. Subs: Kvaratskhelia 7, Elmas 7, Simeone 6, Cajuste 5, Ostigard n/a.

Sassuolo: Consigli 6, Toljan 5, Erlic 6, Tressoldi 5, Vina 5, Henrique 5, Lopez 2, Boloca 5, Bajrami 5, Lauriente 6, Pinamonti 4. Subs: Pedersen 5, Ceide 6, Racic 5, Mulattieri 5, Thorstvedt 6.

OFF THE POST! 1′ – Di Lorenzo’s bouncing cross finds Raspadori, who has drifted well across from the left to find space before the near post, and he crashes a shot off that near post.

PENALTY TO NAPOLI 15 – The referee is sent to the pitchside screen after a clumsy Boloca tackle on Politano and decides it is a penalty.

GOAL! NAPOLI 1-0 SASSUOLO (OSIMHEN) 16′ – Osimhen smashes the penalty into the top corner, having stuttered in his run-up to see where the goalkeeper was leaning. An excellent penalty.

RED CARD! 51′ – Lopez is given his marching orders for something he said off the ball! A red card seemingly from nowhere and more bad news for Sassuolo.

PENALTY TO NAPOLI! 59′ – Toljan jumps with his arms in the air at a corner, the ball is headed onto them and Napoli have another penalty.

PENALTY MISSED!60′ – Raspadori takes penalty number two and gets it all wrong, clipping the crossbar as it flies over.

GOAL! NAPOLI 2-0 SASSUOLO (DI LORENZO) 64′ – Kvaratskhelia, fresh on the pitch, slips in Di Lorenzo after some nice Napoli passing and he shoots across the goalkeeper, into the far corner.

• Napoli have now won their Serie A home opener in eight consecutive seasons, a club record.